A new report by Earthsight reveals that cotton used by major fast fashion brands like H&M and Zara is linked to severe environmental and human rights abuses in Brazil's Cerrado region. The overreliance on cotton certification schemes has allowed issues such as land grabs, illegal deforestation, and human rights violations to proliferate. The Cerrado, an area rich in biodiversity, is being rapidly cleared for agriculture, particularly by companies like SLC Agrícola and Grupo Horita, which supply cotton to Asian manufacturers producing for these brands.
